COMMENTS:Hwy 301 South. Make sure that you slow down to the legal limit since Lawtey is now a nationally infamous speed trap. The limit goes from 65 MPH to 45 MPH. REMAINS: Many old late 1800's Mansions. Some are renovated others are left to ruin. Farmers Market, Kelly General Store, & Old Train Depot

The small town of Lawtey owes its existence to the
dreams of 30 Chicagoans who in 1877, came south to find a better life
under the warm Florida sun. Captain Thomas Burrin had established a sawmill
on 18,000 acres. Burrin donated 220 acres of land for a town and to sell
additional acres for $5.00 an apiece. The name Lawtey was the son-in-law
of one of the new residents. In 1885, 250 people lived in Lawtey wich
now boasted a school house, several stores, and a cotton gin. 82 acres
of Orange trees was the current crop. Later Strawberries was the main
crop until the depression when the towns economy died. Lawtey, at this
time, was inhabited mainly by wealthy northeners who avoided mingling
with the town's "crackers". Most of the Chicagoans saw the later settlers
of Lawtey as outsiders and resisted any efforts to incorporate them in
the community. Some of the wealthier Chicagoans built stately homes during
this time of wich some are pictured here. The early 1900's saw the introduction
of a violent element to Lawtey, and shooting scrapes became common. Those
residents who dared venture out after dark often took along company in
the form of a gun. Rival gangs vied for power in Lawtey, and murders were
frequent. The town economically never recovered from the depression. Today's
town budget depends on the speeding tickets written by the "Silver Bullet",
the local Sheriff. Other than that the town is virtually a ghost town
or at least semi-ghost. Submitted by: Mike Woodfin

Picture of Lawtey Florida in 1900
(courtesy of the Florida Archieves)

1800's United Methodist Church
Courtesy Mike Woodfin

O. J. Anders HomesteadCourtesy Mike Woodfin

Prevatt Homestead
Courtesy Mike Woodfin

Moore Homestead
Courtesy Mike Woodfin

Original slab for Train Depot. Moved to the background left.
Courtesy Mike Woodfin